Cinderanne
by PrincessEurydice
Summary: This is the story of Anne. Hers is one that all girls dream of, but few ever have. Please tell me what you think of it, even if you hate it!
1. Chapter 1

_ Anne combed her long, brunette hair while she watched herself in the mirror. She thought over the past few weeks, weeks that she would never forget. She knew that just a month ago, if she had been told that soon she would be sitting here, in the Queen's Chamber, she would have laughed out loud and not believed a word of it. Yet, here she was. Her face was no longer darkened by ashes that came by the fire which she once tended. Her fingers were no longer blistered and burnt, though they were scarred. Her hair was now long and beautiful, not unwashed and cropped._

_ Now, instead of wearing her step-sisters' old dresses, that were really closer to rags, Anne wore a magnificent ruby red gown, which complimented her pale skin tone perfectly. She knew that her story was one that every girl dreamed of having. She knew how lucky she was. _

"Anne! Come here! You have to help dress me well today. I'm going to be visited by Sir Charles, today!" This was how Anne had been awakened on that bright, fateful morning when everything had begun. She sat up and yawned fully before standing up and slipping on her stained shoes.

"Anne! Where in heavens name are you?" called her step-mother. Anne sighed; she knew better than not to respond.

"Here I am, Marylind. I'm coming now." Anne called up the stairs as she walked towards the kitchen to grab a small piece of toast which would be her breakfast.

"Were you sleeping in, today? You wicked child. Make sure that you bring up the girls and my breakfast. And make sure that the porridge is piping hot, or you shall bring us up more." Anne knew that this was punishment for when Anne had been sick last week. Her poor step-mother had to actually dress herself and get her own breakfast. Imagine that!

As Anne stepped through the doors that led to the kitchen, she waved good-morning to the cook. "Hello Rosa. How are you today?" she asked as she picked up the tray that had been set out for Anne to deliver.

"Oh, I'm fine, child. I just worry about you. A child should not be worked as you are. You don't have any time to be a child." Rosa smiled at her. "Once you're done dressing her, come back down here and we'll have some tea and a little piece of toast, okay?" Anne nodded as she walked through the door. "Good luck!"

Anne approached her step-mother's door apprehensively. If there was any way that she could, Anne would have turned around and walked out the door instead of going into this room where she knew that she would be mocked and punished. But, she knew that there was no way that she could just walk away. Since her father's death, the woman behind this door was her only provider, how ever scant these provisions were.

With a small sigh, Anne pushed open the door and immediately regretted it.

"There you are! It is about time! I have been waiting nearly a quarter of an hour to be dressed," scolded Maria, the older of her step-sisters. "You do know that later today, I am to be honored with the presence of Sir Charles himself. I do dare say that after today, he will be a regular visitor here, no doubt."

"And then soon after, his brother shall court me!" chimed in her other step-sister, Cortia. "Put down that breakfast tray. I am quite hungry!"

"How can you be hungry? Sir Charles is going to visit me today!"

Anne groaned as her step-sisters began to fight. They were always fighting and it quickly got tiring. She set down the tray on the small table and turned towards her step-mother, who had been quiet, which was rare for her.

"Ma'am, whom should I dress first?" Anne asked, hoping that the answer would not be Maria. She was beyond silly with her puppy dog devotion to Sir Charles, who would obviously never return her affections. The only reason that he was even visiting today was because of their mother's planning.

"Dress Maria, first. I do want her looking her best. This will be, after all, a day that we will all look back on with pride. The day that my Maria was first visited by her future husband." Anne had to stifle back a groan.

"Yes, ma'am." Anne stepped over to Maria, who was still arguing with her sister. Anne wished that their mother would say something to them, but in her eyes, the two could do nothing wrong. "Maria, are you ready to be dressed, or would you like to eat first?"

"I think that I'll be dressed, since I am so excited that I could not eat a bite of that food." Anne nodded and began to tighten Maria's stays. "I should think that I want to wear my pink day dress for his visit. Mother, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, yes my dear. You are most becoming in that dress." Anne began to fall into her routine of each morning and soon each of the three were dressed. She left quietly for the kitchen, before they could think of some new chore for her to do.

"Hello, Rosa," said Anne as she sat down at the small kitchen where tea and toast were waiting for her. "I hope that you didn't wait for me to eat. Maria was being impossible today. She had to try on every piece of jewelry that is in this house and I had to arrange her hair in three different ways, before she was satisfied."

"Of course I waited for you, dove. Now let's eat." The two ate their meager meal in silence. Anne already wished that she could go back to sleep and as she finished her tea, she had to hold back a yawn. "Did you have to tend the fire last night?" asked Rosa with concern on her familiar face. Anne nodded. "That's bad for you, inhaling all that smoke as you fall asleep. And you don't get a proper night's sleep nether, when you constantly have to wake to keep it burning."

Anne was grateful for her concern. It was the closest thing that she had to a mother's concern. "I got plenty of sleep."

"Posh, but it's not that I blame you, dear. No wonder that you slept in so late this morning. Now, you and I had better start working, or we'll hear about it later. You probably have plenty to do with Sir Charles' visit so quickly approaching. Now move it!" As Rosa passed her, Rosa quickly patted her cheek. "I'll get Steven to watch the fire tonight. Then you can get plenty of sleep."

Anne smiled and left the room. Steven was Rosa's son. He was about seven years old and always happy to do anything to help his mother or Anne. As she began to walk up the steps to find out her chores, she heard a carriage approaching. Anne looked out the window. Sir Charles had arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Anne knew that she would soon have to open the door, so she walked back down the steps. As soon as Anne reached the landing, she heard a knock on the door. She had to hold back a laugh, Sir Charles was banging at the door heavily, like no one that she had ever opened the door for before. Anne silently opened the door, the amused smile still on her face. As she opened the door, she realized just why Maria was so obsessed with him. He was absolutely perfect in every way imaginable.

He was about a foot taller than her and had dark, almost black hair. He was wearing a classy, but still appropriate outfit. He was, in short, the perfect gentleman, at least by his looks. Anne realized that he was gazing at her, just as she was gazing at him. Anne also knew what she was expected to do.

"Hello, sir. I take it that you are Sir Charles." she said this without taking her eyes off his face, which she happened to notice looked like it had been carved by angels.

"I am. I am here to see Miss Maria. I do hope that she is expecting me." Even his voice was perfect. It kind of reminded her of the sound of her father's voice which she had not heard in so long.

"Oh, she has been," Anne spoke softly. "She has been most difficult to dress, especially now that she has something to squirm about." As soon as she had spoken, Anne realized what she had said. "Oh, excuse me. That was not in my place to say. I do hope that you will be forgiving, and not mention this to my step-mother. She is already quite angry enough at me for getting sick last week." Anne bowed softly.

"Of course, I will tell no one. This will be our little secret." He bowed, which made Anne blush scarlet on her pale cheeks. "Though, I do have one question. I think my not mentioning anything, deserves a reward. You said your step-mother. Are you then the daughter of the Earl of Brennings?" Anne inwardly groaned. How could she have been so careless? It was just stupid to let it slip that Marylind was her step-mother.

But how could she deny Sir Charles an answer to his question? He had, after all, promised to tell no one of her slip of the tongue. She was obligated to answer his question. "Yes, he is my father." Anne said this quietly, letting her loose hair fall into her face. She knew what the next question would be.

"He was your father. And yet, your step-mother treats you in such a manner? It is undignified! It is the lowest that I have ever heard! It is-" Anne interrupted him.

"To remain a secret. It must remain a secret, Sir Charles. Please." Anne couldn't believe that she was begging this man, yet here she was.

"Please, then, if we are going to have this many secrets between us, you must call me Charles. And you must tell me your name." Anne realized with a blush of chagrin that she had never introduced herself.

"My name is Anne."

"Then, you must be the rightful Earless of Brennings, not this awful woman that lives here now, Miss Anne." He bowed again to her, now embarrassing her more than she ever dreamt possible.

"I am just Anne, Charles. I am no miss. Not after being the servant to my step-family for so many years. You must understand, I know that I really am an Earless, but I can't believe it. Not when I am living in my father's house as a servant and wearing rags as my dress. Not when I must tend the fire into the night, burning my fingers and sometimes my hair. Please sir, call me anything, but please do not call me miss." Anne finished. She was slightly ashamed of herself for what she had said, but every word that she had spoken was the truth. Charles looked at her with an understanding that she was not used to seeing.

"I understand, Anne."

"Thank you. Now, I had better present you to my step-sister before they come down to figure out why I haven't brought you to the sitting room yet." Anne bowed with a smile on her face. "Remember, to you I am only a servant in the house. Follow me." Anne led him up the staircase and knocked on the sitting room door. "Ma'am, Sir Charles is here to visit Maria."

"Of course, please allow him to enter."

Before entering the room, Charles turned to Anne and whispered in her ear, "Before I go, we must speak again." Anne nodded in response and Charles stepped into the sitting room. Anne closed the door behind him, knowing that if she didn't she would be accused of spying on them.

Anne carefully retraced her steps down the stairs. She decided that she would take some tea up to the sitting room, so that she might see how Maria behaved. She also wanted to see Charles again, though she could hardly admit this to herself.

When Anne entered the kitchen, she saw Steven eating a small piece of bread. "Hello there. Where is your mother?" Anne asked, smiling at the young boy. He was everything that she loved in Rosa, only in a little boy.

"She went outside to help the carriage master of that Sir that was coming to visit Maria. I would bet that he is as awful as her, if he's willing to sit in a room and talk with her." He continued to eat his bread. When Anne didn't respond he said, "Did you talk to him, or something? Was he kind?"

"I only spoke to him for a second. For what I saw him, I thought that he was a very kindly man." What Anne wouldn't admit to the boy was how her heart leapt now, just at the sound of his name. Charles. Charles. She would not admit how they had talked, how reassuring he had been, how badly Anne wanted to see him once more, even if only for a minute.

"Why did you need my mother?" he asked as he ate the last bite of his bread.

"I wanted to take some tea up for them. He looked cold and as if he would benefit from some tea."

About ten minutes later, Anne was hurrying up the stairs, carrying a platter of tea and cakes. Anne desperately wanted to see Sir Charles, Charles, once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Anne softly and carefully knocked on the door. It wouldn't be good to get her stepmother in a foul mood. "Yes," came as a reply. Anne couldn't tell whether Marylind was pleased with how Charles was behaving by her tone.

"Please, ma'am. I brought you some cakes and tea. I thought that the sir might be cold from his journey. The wind is blustering something awful outside. Would you like me to bring the tray in?" Anne stood outside the door, not sure whether she should just enter.

"Yes, I suppose so." Anne opened the door and walked across the room to the table where she let the tray rest. "Now, hurry along." Anne snuck a glance at Charles. He was smiling at her. She noticed that when he would smile, his eyes would twinkle. This realization made her stomach fill with butterflies. Why was she so conscious of this man that she met less than an hour ago?

"Are you sure that you won't be requiring anything else, ma'am? If you like, I could build a nice fire to keep you all nice and warm." Anne tried to say this without any contempt in her voice.

Marylind looked suspiciously towards Anne. "Why are you so willing to do chores all of a sudden? Normally, I have to practically threaten you just to do the simplest of things." Anne saw Charles tighten up at these words in the corner of her eye.

"I just feel bad for getting sick last week. It was unfair to you." Anne was never a very convincing liar, but thinking about just being in the same room as Charles made her heart do flips and this made her able to lie.

"Hmm, that is true. You put the girls and me into a most inconvenient position. Yes, I suppose that this will be good for you, a penance of sorts." Marylind nodded toward the fireplace and Anne walked over to begin the fire. Charles was sitting on the edge of his seat. Marylind must have noticed this because she then commented, "Oh, Sir Charles, don't mind her. She's just an orphan that is lucky to work for me here. Really I am quite just compared to some people with their servants."

Anne noticed how Charles didn't bid Marylind to forget the 'sir'. This small detail made Anne wonder, could Charles really care about her? He had said that he did not want to leave without talking to her once more. She wondered what he would say, what that entire conversation would be about. Anne looked forward to it. She began to listen to the conversation occurring around her, though she had to make it look like she wasn't listening.

"Oh, Sir Charles, you are just too fascinating. Isn't he fascinating Cortia?" Maria asked as she placed her palm on his wrist. "You really must tell us more about yourself." She looked at him with a sickening sweet smile and Charles looked uncomfortable.

"Well, what do you want to know about?" he asked.

"Oh, Sir Charles, I do so want to know everything about you. You are just so handsome and fascinating. And after all you visited me, you must provide me with amusement. Tell me everything. How old are you? I do know that you have a younger brother, a John, I think? But he's not a Sir yet, is he? He is just a Mister. How unfortunate for him!" At this point, Maria turned on her sister. Anne knew that Cortia adored Sir Charles' younger brother and she knew that Maria was just saying these things to hurt her sister.

"Well, I am nineteen years old," Charles began. Anne's heart fluttered. He was nineteen years old, while she was only fifteen. Surely he could not care about her in such a way that he would ask marriage of her? Especially with the differences in their ages. Anne burnt her hand and cried out in pain. "Are you okay?" Charles asked as he leapt to his feet.

"Sit, sit, Sir Charles. It is not in her place to speak out and she knows this. She only cried out for attention and it would be best to ignore her, lest she get ideas that it works.

"I am fine." Anne said, barely above a whisper. She heard Charles sit back down and she continued to tend to the fire.

"Now, what were you saying Charles. I do believe that you were just about to tell us about your brother," prompted Marylind. "Please continue. I do find it most interesting."

"Well, I do have a brother, John. No, he is not yet a Sir, but I do assure you that he will be once he reaches of age." Anne noticed that his voice seemed different, as though he was affected by her burn. "Now, I do hate to be rude, but the weather seems to be worsening. I am afraid that if I do not leave now, then I will not be able to find my way home." He stood up.

"Oh, but you mustn't go yet, Sir Charles," Maria whined. "Our visit has only just begun. You have only been here for a little over an hour, surely you wish to remain just a bit longer?" She touched her hand to his wrist again as Anne stood up.

"I will show him to the door, if you wish," Anne said, addressing Marylind.

"Surely, you will stay for supper," Marylind questioned Charles.

"I really must leave now, or I will be stuck here and be a burden. Please, the servant can show me out." Charles began to walk to the door. He got there before Anne, and he opened the door to let her through. Anne blushed crimson. Normally, it was her job to hold the door open for guests.

Anne followed Charles down the stairs. He opened the door and walked outside, then held the door open for Anne. She followed him once more. What could he possibly have to say to her? Anne looked forward to it. He really did seem to care for her and this excited her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Anne," Charles stepped forward. "Anne, I want to take you away from this awful place." He took a ragged breath and continued. "Your step-mother is a cruel woman who does not deserve to know you. Please, I am begging you to come with me. We will find you a home, that is until you receive what is rightfully yours by becoming the Earless." A tear fell down Anne's cheeks.

"Charles, you do not know how long I have waited for someone to say something like this to me. However, I do not feel like I know you. We have known each other less than two hours, and yet you ask me to come with you to the city." Anne wiped the tears from her eyes. "I just do not know Charles."

He grabbed Anne's hand which had been burnt by the fire. "I promise you that I would never hurt in the way that she has hurt you. Anne, it's not an offer of marriage, not yet, it's my way of being your knight. I want to save you. Please, we will find you a home. You will never have to work again." Charles began to stroke her hand with a great deal of tenderness that she had never known.

"Please, Charles," Anne began to beg. "Give me a fortnight to decide. This is, after all, my home. I have so many memories from when I was little… and they all occurred here. This was where I had so much sadness, yes, but it was also where I knew my mother, and my father. It was where I heard their voices, mingling as they would talk. I do not know whether I can just abandon this place of my childhood." By now, Anne was having a hard time talking, because she was crying so hard.

"I'll tell you what," said Charles suddenly. "There is a ball in exactly a fortnight at the king's royal palace. It is there that you can tell me your decision."

"There are just a few problems," replied Anne, feeling hopeless. "One, I have no invitation. You cannot just walk up to the king's palace and expect to be admitted. That would be foolish. And I Sir, am no fool. Secondly, I have nothing to wear. You must wear a gown to a ball, not rags."

"Oh, do not worry about that," he replied casually, as if he had everything planned out. "My father is, after all, a duke, and you, my dear, are a earless, even if you refuse to acknowledge this. What I will have my father do is send your step-mother an invitation, inviting all ladies of the house to attend. Along with that, I will send a dress for each of you, but yours will be by far the nicest. You will attend, and you will tell me the answer." Charles began to walk towards his carriage. "I look forward to once again meeting you," he called over his shoulder.

"Good bye," Anne called softly after him. She suddenly felt like she had someone to take care of her needs, a fairy godmother, of sorts. She wondered whether Charles' plan could possibly work. She also wondered what her decision would be when the time came.

Anne turned around and ran into the kitchen. She could not let her step-sisters see her like this. She also did not want to be near them, because she knew that Maria would not stop talking about Charles. Anne knew that she would not be able to stand that, not when she was faced with such an important decision.

To leave her step-family would be heaven. She would never have to work again, never have to burn her fingers. She would never have to take orders from anyone, only give them. But the thing was, Anne knew nothing of Sir Charles, except that Maria doted on him. And Maria was defiantly not the best judge of character, not in the least.

However, Charles had seemed kind to Anne and he was most concerned about her. She wondered whether she really cared for him, or whether he was just kind to her in a time and place that no one was. Could she go with him, trust him? Anne was not the kind to be trusting, not after her parents' deaths.

When she had been a child, Anne had felt like they had abandoned her, first her mother and then her father following her in death. And Anne had been forgotten, for know she was but a servant. Now, Anne still felt a little abandoned, though she did realize that her parents had not left her by their choice.

Anne continued to sit by the fire in the kitchen, thinking, until her step-sisters called to her once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later, a royal messenger arrived with an invitation to the upcoming ball and a mysterious package. Only, Anne knew what this contained, but she knew that she could not say anything. Her step-family had decided to open it after dinner.

"Oh, Maria! Oh, darling. You know the reason that we received such a special invitation? Because of Sir Charles, no doubt. You have completely and utterly made him fall in love with you! Oh, your first suitor! And your last! I shall see that you two are wed before the end of this very year!" cried Marylind whenever she opened her mouth. Anne could not wait to see the dress that Sir Charles had had sent out for her. This was the only thing that kept her from snapping at Marylind that the gifts were for her. But the dresses were absolutely a dream come true!

When the package was finally opened, four lovely gowns were removed. When Marylind saw that there were four, she instantly turned around and looked at Anne. "Why, Anne are there four dresses?" she asked with a look of pure malice on her face.

Anne tried her hardest not to look guilty, but she too quickly replied, "I don't know Ma'am. I'm sorry." Anne pretended like she was still cleaning the sitting room.

"Don't lie to me! There was a letter that came with this package! Do you want to know what it say?" Marylind asked mockingly. " 'Dearest Weerely family, I do hope that I am not to abrupt when I send this, but I wish to invite you to the prince's ball. Enclosed in the package that you should soon receive, will be four dresses-one for you each. I feel that the lilac would look handsome on Earless Weerely. The yellow is for Maria. The blue is for Cortia. (You will see that I found a fabric that will match her gorgeous eyes.) And the pale pink is for Anne. I did some research and realized that see was the daughter of the Earl of Weerely. I will also expect to see her there. Your, Charles.'" Marylind finished in a mocking tone. She reached into the package and pulled out a pale pink dress that was absolutely gorgeous. There were rosebuds trimming it and a long train behind it. As soon as Anne caught sight of it, she caught her breath.

"It's gorgeous," she said in almost a whisper. Anne reached out a pale finger to trail the fabric, but before she could even touch it, Marylind pulled it away.

"Yes it is. Therefore, it will be Maria's. You will adjust it for her as your punishment." Anne didn't ask why she was being punished. Sometimes she was punished for just breathing too heavily, or not cleaning something perfectly.

"Yes ma'am," Anne managed to choke out. She took the dress in her hands and looked up at Maria. She had a mocking smile on her face and Anne wished that she could smack her and her mother. How dare they believe that they can claim Anne's beautiful dress!

"I am looking forward to this ball, aren't you Anne? I mean, it's such an honor for a servant to be invited to one." Portia spoke from her spot by the fire. Anne looked down at her younger step-sister. She really wasn't very bad, not like her mother or sister, anyway.

"Anne will be going as a servant and nothing more. She will attend to us, but will not wearing any of these beautiful dresses. I don't care what Sir Charles says. She is a spiteful orphan who is indebted to me. Her father might have been an earl, but she is nothing." Marylind said quietly, a deadly sparkle in her eyes.

Anne bowed and left the room. She spent the days leading up to the ball adjusting the dresses, one of which should have been hers.


End file.
